Posted on 08/05/2011 7:45:51 AM PDT by MizSterious
SAN ANGELO — With two guilty verdicts in hand, the state of Texas is pressing ahead into the penalty phase of the Warren Jeffs trial in San Angelo.
After a 10-woman, two-man Tom Green County jury found the head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints guilty as charged of one count of sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child, the penalty phase of the trial proceeded almost immediately late Thursday afternoon.
In the penalty phase, prosecution and defense can present arguments, witnesses and evidence for the jury to consider as it deliberates on penalties.
Attorney General Greg Abbott, who was present the first two days of the trial and returned Thursday to hear the verdict, said: "It's a unique case with regard to the crimes involved at the YFZ Ranch. The veil has been pulled back on the sexual assault of so many kids."
Jeffs' support in his own sect has become shaky. Willie Jessop, a former follower of Jeffs who remains a member of the FLDS, spurned the convicted leader.
"Warren Jeffs betrayed his people and the values of his people," Jessop said at the end of Thursday's proceedings. Everyone in the FLDS, he said, "has to take some responsibility."
(Excerpt) Read more at reporternews.com ...
SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — The punishment phase in the child sex assault trial of Warren Jeffs has resumed without the polygamist leader in the courtroom.
Jeffs asked Friday to be excused in protest. He didn't want anyone to represent him, but state District Judge Barbara Walther appointed two standby attorneys.
Defense attorney Deric Walpole says he'll "finally get to do my job." He was one of seven lawyers Jeffs fired before deciding to represent himself.
The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was convicted Thursday on two counts of sexual assault of a child.
(Excerpt--read more at MySanAntonio.com.
Legally, it is a smart move to have the lawyers handle this, he may escape with less than the full 119 year sentence (IDK if Texas has ‘good behavior’ reductions).
However, I’m gonna miss his trainwreck.
BTW, the prosecution has asked that his proclamation from God that he gave this morning be transcribed so they can enter it as evidence against him.
Must be tough for someone to swallow who is used to believing he is his own god.
His word was final on the ranch. Welcome to reality Warren. not so sweet, is it?
Tough $*(#
(Excuse the language but I LOVE it)
GOOD!!!!
At least one article said he could get much more than 50 years, which is fine by me.
Hah! Well, speaking of “sweet”—he used to tell all his harem to “keep sweet”—now it’s about to be his turn to “keep sweet.”
I like the idea of his being the sweet-heart of Cell Block C for 50-years.
Two guilty verdicts in the state of Texas versus polygamist leader Warren Jeffs finally vindicated the right of Jeffs’ underage victims to be free of sexual predation under the guise of protected religious activities.
Jeffs, who had 78 wives in addition to his legal spouse, 24 of whom were under the age of 17, was convicted of the rape of two young followers, 12 and 14, whose “spiritual marriages” and subsequent sexual assaults were captured on audiotape.
Even more disturbing than Jeffs’ cult-sanctioned pedophilia was the revelation during trial that three of Jeffs’ “wives” were in the room holding down the 12-year old victim while Jeffs raped her. In a scene straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale, audiotapes seized during a 2008 raid on the Eldorado Texas compound run by Jeffs’ church, revealed that one of those “wives” bound the girl’s arms and legs to assist Jeffs in the rape.
(Excerpt--read the rest at Forbes via Yahoo)
The more details that come out about this bunch, the more my stomach turns. Hard to believe these are human beings doing this.
Jeffs is still in the county jail, which means he's eligible to use the phone 24/7 as long as he has the phone cards to do so. His loyal followers supplied him with +20,000 dollars in phone cards for one month. That won't change until he is moved to Huntsville.
He could pick up the phone and tell them to rape every eight year old on that ranch and they'd do it. They are still out there surrounded with barbed wire - and if you stand at the gate, a large two story guard house with tinted windows looms over you.
I've seen on Google earth that they use ‘drag lines’ as the Border Patrol do. Freshly turned and groomed earth adjacent to a fence to pick up foot prints of any one trying to escape.
Lyle will probably take over and he's just as sadistic as Warren. Some say worse.
Re: Willie the Thug. He might be fooling a bunch of liberals in New York - or Oprah (The bed? Oh that's for the grounds keeper.) But he's not fooling me at all.
I'd believe him if he actually took the stand and testified against Warren Steed Jeffs. That didn't happen.
Now it's up to our wonderful Texas AG Greg Abbott and Gov. Perry to see if they really want to run them to ground.
Lyle?
Rumor has it Lyle ex-d Merril Jessop who was the Bishop at YFZ. (Ex husband of Carolyn Jessop.)
Why is Warren allowed to do that? Will it continue now that he's been convicted?
‘Jeffs’ brother will take over: Ex-FLDS member’
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/05/earlyshow/main20088583.shtml
Looky here. (And she has a pinglist.) :-)
Good Saturday morning to you all.
How many Arizonians know this? The outcry should be deafening!
She claims.... “in the state of Arizona alone, they’re getting between ...$$$$$$$ 20 and 30 million dollars a year $$$$$$” and most of the members (of FLDS) “are living off taxpayer money.”
And that buy a woman Judge....sweet!
Wonder where he's put his millions? No doubt hidden somewhere. I understand he was getting about 5 million a month.
Defense lawyers must be delusional or they couldn't defend scum of the earth people...
I doubt they have a conscious or they couldn't. So no skin off their nose....probably just show time to them...and then pay day arrives.
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